When I began my career as a writer at the former Valley Independent, I developed a great relationship with the coaches around the Valley. All of them were so easy to get to know, to talk to not only o...

Starting way back in January of 1956, when Sports Illustrated was in its infancy, a new feature called “Faces in the Crowd” (initially titled “These Faces in the Crowd”) debuted. It featured top amate...

Just like every year, the horizon of the NFL Draft takes many turns before the actual big event takes place. This year, the biggest movement (or assumed movement) at one position has been never more a...

Here’s a little food for thought after an Opening Day and Final Four weekend: • Seriously, how many of you expected the Pirate fans to roundly boo manager Derek Shelton like they did when he was annou...

Author’s note: Part One of the Musial story ended with Dick dispelling the myth that stated he did not play college football because Stan was fearful Dick was a bit undersized. Notre Dame’s NDNation w...

The greatest basketball season in South Allegheny history ended on a sour note in a 60-51 loss to West Catholic in the PIAA 3A championship game Saturday. However, losing a championship game in which ...

Some time ago, a column in the Mon Valley Independent featured letters Stan Musial wrote back home, mainly from 1939-1946, to Joe Barbao. During that span, Musial was making sure to keep in touch with...

It’s finally one of my favorite days of the year. A day that SHOULD be a national holiday, where kids are off school, businesses are closed and we just all get to enjoy America’s pastime. It’s finally...

When Sally Phillips attended Donora High School, the attitude toward girls sports was almost as if organized interscholastic sports had a sign proclaiming “NO GIRLS ALLOWED.” Title IX was still severa...

Iremember vividly when Scott “Scooter” DeUnger wore the various uniforms of Charleroi’s baseball, football and basketball teams. He stood out to me from the rest of the players for various reasons. Th...

With ‘March Madness’ about to get into high gear, here’s a little food for thought: • This is the time of the year I’m so thrilled to be retired. March Madness and the NCAA Tournament. I can remember ...

WPYFL president Bill Spencer tendered his resignation March 11. The largest youth football league in Pennsylvania is part of a police probe as officers investigate accusations of financial impropriety...

Editor’s note: We are rerunning Part 1 of our Sports Stew feature on Charleroi’s John Hostetler. Below is Part 2. John “Hoss” Hostetler was featured in a 2021 MVI story, but his story is so rich, ther...

Part 1 of the Hostetler story featured him discussing select Charleroi High stars. He continued, moving on to the highly successful Jeff Petrucci. “I didn’t see too much of him during my senior year b...

By now, sports fans throughout the tristate area are aware of the wild melee that broke out during Friday night’s Uniontown-Meadville PIAA playoff game. With just over three minutes to play and Meadvi...

After a few days off I still find myself struggling to get back into the swing of things. It’s First Pitch time, we have new basketball champions and we’re about 8 days away from the start of baseball...

John Kukrak remembers that day in 1995 perfectly. He was in his driveway washing his vehicle when his neighbor and friend, Nick Mahalko, pulled up. Mahalko had been the scorekeeper for Monessen’s boys...

He’s in three area halls of fame for his achievements at Beth-Center, Ringgold and Belle Vernon Area. Billy Connors passed away this week, and a look back at his career vividly testifies to what a ric...

a little food for thought to help Here’s start your week: • Over the many years of his legendary coaching career, Joe Salvino and I had this little moment we used to enjoy. Often times, when I was int...

Here we go again with more parent drama plaguing a successful athletic program in the Mon Valley. And while the Frazier wrestling program has seen a lot of success since it’s creation in 2015, it’s se...